Mindful DEI: Prosocial behaviour, ego depletion and the dangers of burnout

by Georgie Williams, DEI Consultant and Gender Identity Specialist

How do we make DEI work, when the “work” becomes challenging?

The benefits of DEI initiatives to businesses and organisations are well established. Although many of us will be familiar with the research demonstrating the financial returns and innovation facilitated through DEI, implementing successful strategies still requires us to grapple with the realities of stretched budgets and stressed teams.

The psychology of burnout

It can be easy, in our efforts to champion DEI initiatives, to lose sight of the human elements intrinsic to their application. Engagement in DEI requires what is described as “prosocial behaviour”. The American Psychological Association defines prosocial as “denoting or exhibiting behavior that benefits one or more other people”.

To engage in prosocial behaviour, certain prerequisites exist, particularly around our own emotional states. For example, if we are to advocate for someone we consider vulnerable, we will likely find it easier to do so if we feel we are doing so from a more secure and confident position. It is, of course, still possible to engage in prosocial behaviour from vulnerable positions – but in doing so we may face greater risks to our health, wellbeing or, in the context of the workplace, job security.

This is why burnout is much more than an issue of “productivity”. Burnout, which is defined as “a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion”, has been classified as an “occupational phenomenon” by the World Health Organization. However, this has led to burnout being regularly mischaracterised as primarily an organisational issue. Mental Health UK includes the following as potential emotional symptoms of burnout:

• Feeling helpless, trapped, and/or defeated.
• Self-doubt, feeling like a failure or worthless.
• Feeling detached and alone in the world.
• Feeling overwhelmed and/or emotionally exhausted.
• Feeling demotivated, having a cynical/negative outlook.
• Lacking sense of satisfaction and achievement.
• Loss of interest and enjoyment.
• Persistent feelings of dread, worry and anxiety.

When we evaluate the impact of these emotional symptoms, it becomes evident how feelings of detachment, overwhelm or cynicism may limit our ability to champion DEI causes. Other theories exist around the human capacity for prosocial behaviour. For example, the less empirically substantiated but widely known theory of “ego depletion” argues that certain acts of self-control or will power can pull on psychological and physical resources which can be depleted over time, making acts of compassion or social activism challenging to maintain when overtaxed. Ego depletion may even lead to individuals experiencing reduced guilt for avoiding prosocial behaviours.

What this means is that even the most diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace risks achieving such accolades at the expense of employees who become depleted in the process. When key contributors to these initiatives are depleted, it threatens the longevity and efficacy of DEI programmes. Very often, our conversations about DEI initiatives and wellbeing initiatives are kept separate, but research and lived experience demonstrate how inextricably intertwined these matters are.

Who is responsible? What can they do?

DEI initiatives are often bolstered by more junior workers who are rich in lived experience but are more likely to be overworked and under-supported (or underpaid!) in these efforts. These circumstances can put these workers at greater risk of burnout, which is why it is paramount that those in leadership roles take charge wherever possible with DEI initiatives.

However, burnout is a phenomenon that can affect employees at all levels, including those in leadership roles. As with DEI, workplace wellbeing and accountability surrounding wellbeing is something that all employees are responsible for, to varying degrees. Determining that degree of responsibility requires employees to consider the following:

• What is my “emotional caseload”? If you are heavily involved in DEI initiatives that involve aspects of your own identity of lived experience, the emotional caseload may be high. We may be thinly spread and therefore more likely to require support. However, if we feel that we have capacity (in terms of both our emotional caseload and work responsibilities), we may want to step in to claim a share of the responsibility for DEI projects, or use our platform to push back on project scope or timelines. Collaborative, community-oriented approaches to work can do wonders for the isolation, social withdrawal and feelings of overwhelm experienced with burnout.
• What is my zone of influence? This will be strongly determined by your seniority and the weight of your role. If you are in a position of influence, either by seniority or by belonging to a demographic that is better represented within your workplace/industry, your ability to advocate for overtaxed DEI change-makers will be significant. Exerting influence or vocalising your beliefs around company-enforced deadlines or unreasonable budget cuts to DEI can go a long way in mitigating cynicism or detachment in burned-out DEI champions.
• How do I fit into the wider political climate? There is no workplace unaffected by politics, and there is no apolitical version of DEI. Whenever we bring ourselves to work, we bring with us a wealth of lived experience, as well as our own biases and our positions within a wider political tapestry. Different DEI initiatives may come with different emotional and psychological costs; in the current political climate, individuals who are championing causes from positions of immigrant heritage or gender diversity may feel greatly taxed by the vulnerability involved in being the face of these initiatives. Regardless of the broader benefit of any DEI programme or policy reform, these changes must never come at the expense of individuals most affected by these issues. We can use an awareness of the broader political climate to inform where we allocate our support and where we facilitate wellness check-ins. When our team members are open about a facet of their identity that makes them vulnerable in the current climate, it’s important to ensure they have access to any and all resources and support available to them.

The importance of solidarity

Ultimately, wellbeing is not a matter of “positive thinking” as much as it is active intra-departmental solidarity and advocacy. As workers, our wellness and our ability to champion a cause come from a sense of security in our roles, a managed workload and a solidarity with our teams and companies.

Transforming workplaces through DEI initiatives will always be a long game, as all effective initiatives are. If you are looking for a DEI matter to focus on in the coming months, consider directing those efforts and resources to the people generating the undercurrents that make DEI happen. After all, there can be no diversity, equity or inclusion without compassion.